Crimson Tide Players Talk About Mississippi State GameWilson and Johnson met with the media on Monday to preview Saturday's game

Nov. 10, 2008

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Members of the University of Alabama football team met with the media Monday to preview the Alabama-Mississippi State football game this Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Here are some of the comments from senior quarterback John Parker Wilson and senior safety Rashad Johnson.

Senior quarterback John Parker WilsonOn Mississippi State game:“We know that they’ve beaten us the past two years. We want to go out there and win the game and keep doing what we’ve done this season. We’ve kind of had a bad taste in our mouths for the past couple years. The Arkansas State game was kind of payback for the game last year against ULM. We just have to take the mentality that we haven’t done anything yet. We still have a lot to do and a lot to accomplish this season.”

On facing adversity in LSU game:“We aren’t glad. You never want to go in there and do that. Coming out of it, and the way the team responded, I think that it was good. Nobody got down. There was no negative talk and nothing bad going on, on the sidelines. We always thought we could win. We always thought we were going to get the last play and the last opportunity. Guys just stepped up for us and made some big plays.”

On difference in offense from last year to this year:“We are able to run the ball. We have a good running game. That makes everything easier. The way we’ve been able to run the ball early, they either have to respect that or they have to cover the pass. Right now they are putting a lot of guys in the box and leaving a lot of guys one on one. I think Mississippi State will do it. We just have to be ready for everything, whether they rush five or six guys or drop everybody out. It’s just kind of how the game is going and we have to prepare for everything.”

Senior safety Rashad JohnsonOn his play last Saturday:“It was a huge game. It was a great atmosphere. I couldn’t imagine it any better. That stadium was rocking the entire night. There were a lot of ups and downs. I think we did a good job as a team of battling through some adversity and hard times in the game where we could have given up. LSU could have made some more plays and put us away. I think we did a good job of fighting back and coming out with a win.”

On Alabama clinching the SEC West:“It (clinching the west) definitely felt good. There is no other way as a competitor that you would want it to be, besides in your hands. You don’t have to worry about another person beating this team for you. You always want to do it yourself and make that accomplishment that we did. Not that we did it with the help of another team. It definitely feels good to win the SEC West and win it the way that we won it.”

On Mississippi State’s running game:“It’s just a power running game. They have some big backs that they are going to get in tight splits. They are going to turn around and run the power. They are going to run the zone and here it comes. You know its coming. Who is going to line up and fit the gaps and make the tackle. That’s all it comes down to. Everybody is going to have to be buckled up and ready to go Saturday.”